Health by numbers

Most Corporates, these days are concerned about the fitness and health of their employees. They organise and conduct special health programs, health check-ups, implementing diet lunches,access to well equipped gyms at workplace and lectures by renowned physicians etc.,.

I recently came across a health booklet from GE(Genral Electric). This booklet came out of concern and for their associates health safety.

The booklet is named 0 5 10 25.



What is 0 5 10 25?

These numbers are the easiest way to remember GE energy's most important health message for its employees.

0 is for living tobacco free and highlights the importance of getting healthier by breaking our dependence on tobacco and its products.

5 – eat 5 servings of veggies and fruits each day, The 5 reminds us that we all need 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables . This helps in displacing bad fat in our diet and helps us to enjoy the color and texture of fruits and veggies daily. By making this number we lower our cholesterol, level out our blood sugar, improve bowel regularity and decrease cancer risks.

10—10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day. This number prompts us to walk 10k steps which helps us feeling refreshed and relaxed. This helps us to move easily up the stairs ,helps in sound sleep at night and cut our diabetes risk. If exercise were a medication it would be a wonder drug without rival.

25—and keep your BMI(Body Mass Index) below 25. This number is the target recommended by WHO for BMI. As our BMI approaches this number, we feel healthier and happy with our new found energy levels

Courtesy: GE energy

Pillaiyar kuthu and Thorpukaranam

We Indians follow a lot of cultural and ritualistic practices. They differ from region to region. Our respected elders formulated and practiced many customs based on their native knowledge and wisdom and strongly backed by scientific truths. These practices were inducted into their daily life in the form of rituals and beliefs. Perhaps, the reason why our elders never suffered from life style diseases and led a de-stressed life. These have been practiced from many generations and our elders who respected their elders never questioned these practices and blindly followed them without reasoning.

But with our generation, things have changed, our fast paced life style do not allow us to practice many of these rituals. Moreover, We question elders and would like to know the significance and scientific reason (if there is any) behind all these practices and In today’s rocket science age, are these practices still relevant?

If they are relevant, it is our moral duty today as parents, to pass the baton of Indian cultural values to the gennext, all those values that have been cherished and nurtured so far by our ancestors, lest they get drowned under the skilful marketing tactics of the west and the Chinese values.

I have decided to post all these cultural and ritual details with their scientific reasoning as and when I source the authentic details, under the label culture, so that it may be a ready reckoner for my children and their friends at a later date.

Hindus strongly believe that before starting any work, if they pray to Lord ganesha, there wouldn’t be any hurdles till they accomplish their task.

While praying to Lord Ganesha ‘Pillaiyar kuthu’ and ‘Thorpukaranam’ are performed. These are two exercises performed by tamils (like namaskar)when they see Lord Ganesha on roads, temples or houses.

Pillaiyar is the tamil name for Lord ganesha and kuttu is the tap. In this you tap your temples(side of forehead) with your fists. This act helps in stimulating the nerve points which helps in retaining your memory.

Thorpukaranam -- Thorpu is hands and karanam is ear in Sanskrit. This is a form of sit up, done by catching your left ear lobe with your right hand and your right earlobe with your left hand. This action is performed 108 times. This exercise which has been blended into our culture is supported by science.

This action of touching the earlobes activates the pressure points on our ears, thus making our right and left brains active. This is more effective when performed for a longer duration and hence 108 times.( will make a separate post on the auspicious 108)

This exercise is now renamed and popularized as ‘Superbrain yoga’ and introduced in many medical schools in the west